Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Commelinids: Poales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (2/10/25):
Carex intumescens var. intumescens
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Carex intumescens looks very similar to C. grayi, but the heads are not as round (more often obovoid or ovoid) and have fewer perigynia. Read more at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
INCLUDED WITHIN
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Carex intumescens
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH A morphometric analysis of the Carex intumescens complex supporting the recognition of two varieties (Medford, Poindexter, & Weakley. 2021)
Carex intumescens var. intumescens
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Carex intumescens var. intumescens
INCLUDED WITHIN Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 23 (2002)
Carex intumescens
INCLUDED WITHIN Aquatic & Wetland Plants of Southeastern US (Godfrey & Wooten, 1979 & 1981)
Carex intumescens
INCLUDED WITHIN VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 030-17-118:
Carex intumescens FAMILY Cyperaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Carex intumescens
COMMON NAME:
Bladder Sedge, Pregnant Sedge
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_cain12_001_lvd
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide pnd_cain12_003_lvd
)
John B. Nelson jbn_3956927276_5eefac1edd
April Richland County SC
Congaree National Park
Perigynia lanceoloid to ovoid, convex to the base, per Weakley's Flora (2025).
)
JK Marlow jkm130430_868
April Spartanburg County SC
Perigynium [papery sheath enveloping nutlet] nerved, lustrous, w rounded base, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm130430_872
April Spartanburg County SC
Culms 30-60cm tall; blades 2-6mm wide, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm230423_2775
April Spartanburg County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm210507_0053
May Greenville County SC
Blackwell Heritage Preserve
Surface of perigynia glabrous (vs C. grayi with puberulent vestiture visible under magnification), per A morphometric analysis of the Carex intumescens complex supporting the recognition of two varieties (Medford, Poindexter, & Weakley. 2021).
)
JK Marlow jkm210507_0121
May Greenville County SC
Blackwell Heritage Preserve
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (2/10/25):
Carex intumescens var. intumescens
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Carex intumescens
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
A morphometric analysis of the Carex intumescens complex supporting the recognition of two
varieties (Medford, Poindexter, & Weakley. 2021)
Carex intumescens var. intumescens
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Carex intumescens var. intumescens
INCLUDED WITHIN
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 23
Carex intumescens
INCLUDED WITHIN
Aquatic & Wetland Plants of Southeastern US (Godfrey & Wooten, 1979 & 1981)
Carex intumescens
INCLUDED WITHIN
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 030-17-118:
Carex intumescens
FAMILY
Cyperaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Carex intumescens
1989
Grass, Sedge, or Rush
Perennial
Monoecious
Habitat: bogs, fens, seeps, wet forests, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Common
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Basal? Alternate, 3-ranked?
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Perianth absent
3 stamens
Superior ovary
Unisexual
Inflorescences: spikes (terminal spike staminate; 1-2 lateral spikes pistillate)
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer
Nutlet
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".